Western Carolina University

Career: Finished his five seasons in Cullowhee with 54-consecutive starts along the offensive line – thought to be the most by player in program history … Signed as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Chargers in April 2024.
 
2023 (Redshirt Senior): Started all 11 games along the offensive line for the Catamounts … Part of a WCU offense that led the nation with an average of 504 yards per game … Named first-team All-Southern Conference by the league’s head coaches and the voting media … Dubbed second-team All-America by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) … Selected first-team preseason All-Southern Conference by the league’s head coaches.

2022 (Redshirt Junior): One of seven players to start all 11 games on the season, doing so from his left tackle position … Was one of three offensive linemen to start each game ... Helped the Catamount offense set a single-season school record of 5,339 yards of total offense … Named second team All-Southern Conference by the league’s head coaches … Was a first-team preseason All-Southern Conference selection along the offensive line by the league's head coaches ... Tabbed second-team preseason All-SoCon by Phil Steele.

2021 (Redshirt Sophomore*): Started all 11 games on the season on the offensive line, one of just two WCU linemen to do so ... Was named second-team All-Southern Conference by Phil Steele ... Credited with one tackle on a solo stop at The Citadel (Oct. 23) ... Was WCU's lone preseason All-Southern Conference selection by the league's head coaches.

2020-21 (Redshirt Sophomore): Started all nine of the team’s seasonal games along the offensive line and on special teams … Started the first two games of the season at right tackle before making seven-straight starts at left tackle.

2019 (Redshirt Freshman): Started all 12 games along the offensive line including nine games at right tackle and three starts at left tackle … Also saw action on special teams … Made his first collegiate start in the season-opener against Mercer (Aug. 31) … Named an honorable mention for the HERO Sports Freshman All-America team following the season.

2018 (Freshman): Played in four games as a reserve along the offensive line where he was a part of the unit that saw QB Tyrie Adams rush for 1,000 yards, giving WCU its fourth-straight 1,000-yard rusher … Also saw action on special teams … Made his collegiate debut at Mercer (Oct. 20) … Joined the Catamount football team in the spring semester, going through WCU's annual Spring Drills along the offensive line.

Prior to Western Carolina: Two-time all-conference selection, earning All-Southeastern 4A Conference (SEC) selection as a junior and an All-Sandhills Athletic Conference (SAC) nod as a senior … Was named to the WPDE End Zone Team and was selected to play in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas following his senior season while also collecting 910Prep.com All-State accolades … Was additionally named to the 2017 American Family Insurance All-USA North Carolina Football Team.
 
Personal: Full name is James Tyler Smith … Is the son of Betty Jo and Jamie Smith.